European trip leads to college opportunity

Jessica Savage, seated at center, recently signed a national letter-of-intent to play basketball at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University of Daytona Beach, Fla. Seated with her are her mother, Nancy, at left, and former Brighton coach Jason Piepho. Assistant coach Mark Lingo (left) and current Brighton coach Paul Ash look on.(Photo: Tim Robinson/Daily Press & Argus)

BRIGHTON – Jessica Savage went to Europe last summer looking to gain a unique basketball experience.

She came home with an inside line on what school she was going to play for in college.

Savage, a post player, went with former Brighton coach Jason Piepho and former player Shannon Murphy, who was looking into getting into coaching.

After the trip, Murphy, who played for Brighton from 2003-06, eventually got Savage to sign with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Murphy became an assistant coach at the school, based in Daytona Beach, Fla., over the summer.

“It worked out good for her,” Piepho said. “Jess showed up and played really well. She was knocking down shots and playing the way she usually does, with a lot of energy. Shannon loved the way she played, and it snowballed from there.”

ERAU is fielding its first-ever women’s basketball team this season and next year will play in Division II. Being in on the ground floor appealed to Savage.

“That was part of the draw,” she said, “the excitement of starting a program and helping build a strong foundation.”

Savage also is a strong student, planning to major in either biomechanical engineering or mechanical engineering with an eye toward going into aeronautics.

“I had talked with Hope and Calvin (colleges) about playing basketball and thought about applying to Michigan,” Savage said. “(ERAU) ended up being the best scholarship deal and an adventure, too.”

Savage, a post player, will begin her third year on the varsity next week. She missed almost all of her sophomore season with a knee injury.

“She plays with emotion, and that’s not one thing a lot of kids play with,” Piepho said. “She’s high energy, she loves to compete and supplies energy to the team while doing all the dirty work for us. She had some big games, some big scoring games, last year. I imagine her role will grow this year.”

Piepho was asked, jokingly, if that was because he was no longer the coach. He cackled with laughter, saying, “Now she has a coach who likes her.”

All in fun, of course. But there’s one aspect of Savage’s college choice that Piepho finds extra appealing.

“It will be fun to see one of the girls I coached play for one of the girls I coached,” Piepho said. “I think (Savage) is going to do really well. She works hard at her game and takes pride in what she does.”

Savage, meanwhile, prepares for her senior season and endures a little weather-related hazing.

“My coach will text me and ask, ‘What’s it like there?’” Savage said. “And we have snow already while it’s 70 and sunny there.”

One of the young women who made the trip to Europe last year, Sabrina Whiting, is a freshman at ERAU. She and Savage already have become friends.

Savage says her Brighton experience should serve her well at the next level, especially in terms of leadership skills and work ethic.

“I think with a fresh team, those are important things to have,” she said. “YOu want to let people know you’re working hard all of the time. It doesn’t matter what day or if you’ve practiced twice already that day. You go to the gym ad give your all. I think that will be a strong carryover from Brighton.”